Roadbed-plate



C. SHORT. ROADBED PLATE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. t0, r920.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

GizarZey 671072,

M ml .w l

chantry snorting or consumer, mssouiu.

Specification of Letters Yatent,

Iatehted Ma. 22, 1921.

Application filett December 10,1920. Serial No. 4293105 To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEY SHORT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Courtney, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roadbed- Plates, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to road beds and while the invention isapplicable to various kinds of roads it is intended more especially foruse in the construction of railroads where rock ballast is employed. Oneobject of the invention is to provide means for preventing the rockballast from being washed out by rains or requiring fre quent renewingas is now the case.

Another object is to prevent the ballast and the track from. sinkinginto holes which may be washed in the dirt. road bed underlying theplates, which latter constitute a bridge in such cases for supportingthe ballast and thetrack.

Another object is to prevent earth from being washed up and intermingledwith the ballast and forming a seed bed for the growth of weeds andother vegetation along the right of Way.

A further object is to prevent water from collecting and freezing in theballast and thereby upheaving and disintegrating the same.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, reference will now be had tothe accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of two of the bed plates in assembled position,the dotted lines indicating how the plates may be swung out of line withone another,'in rounding a curve in theroad.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of a railroad track with the ballast restingupon the bed plates.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the plates.

Fig. 45 is a perspective view of a spike employed in connecting theplates together and in anchoring them to the underlying dirt road bed.

In carrying out the invention a metal bedplate 2 is employed, which issubstantially rectangularin cross section, and provided at its sidemargins with upwardly extending flanges 4, which extend at an angle toconform with the sides of the ballast A,

as disclosed on Fig. 2, and thus aid in holding said ballast in place.The plates 2 are tapered toward one end, so that the flanges 4: at thenarrow end of one plate will fit intothe flanges at the wide end of acompanion plate.

The ends of the plates 2 have marginal notches 6 and central slots 8through which spikes or anchors 10 are passed and driven into theunderlying dirt road bed to hold the plates 2 in position; Drain holes11 are provided in the plates through which rain may run off to preventfreezing'in the ballast in cold weather.

Referringmore particularly to the spikes or anchors 10, each consists ofa broad head 12 and a body portion 14 having two broad surfaces 15, sothat when a number of spikes are et at rightangles to one another asshown on Fig. 2, they will prevent the plates 2 from creeping eitherlongitudinally or laterally u oon the underlying road bed.

In building a railroad, the dirt road bed is" first graded and leveledin the ordinary manner. The plates 2 are then laid along said road bed,the narrow end of one plate fitting into the broad end of its companionwhere it is held by the anchors or spikes 10 which are passed throughthe notches 6 and slots 8 and driven into the underlying dirt road bed.In rounding a curve there is ufficient play between the ends of theplates 2 to enable them to be swung at an angle to each other on thecentral spikes 10, so that they may be laid to conform to such curve.The ballast A is then placed upon the plates 2, to receive the ties Band the rails C.

From the foregoingdescription it will be understood that I have providedplates which may beemployed to advantage in the construction ofpermanent roads, and while I have shown the preferred form of theinvention I reserve the right to make such changes and modifications asproperly fall withinv the spirit and scope of the clalms.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patout, is: a

1. A bedfor road ballast, consisting of a plurality of plates adapted tobe laid upon the road bed to support the ballast, and means for looselyconnecting saidplates together so that they may be arranged in alinementor adjusted at an angle to each other, for the purpose described.

2. A bed for ballast, consisting of a pluplate having notches and acentral Opening, 10 rality of plates having drainage means and for thepurpose described. adapted 'to be laid upon the road bed to sup- Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature, port the ballast, and flangesformed on the in the presence of two witnesses. 5 sides of said platesto retain the ballast in place; CHARLEY SHORT.

3. A bed plate smaller at one end than Witnesses: the other and providedwith upwardly ex- FRED C. FISCHER,

tending flanges at its sides, the ends of said L. J. FISCHER.

